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David Heil, President of David Heil & Associates, Inc., is well known throughout the country as an innovative science educator, new enterprise developer, lecturer, author and host of the Emmy Award-winning PBS science series, Newton’s Apple. He was the lead author on the award-winning program Discover The Wonder, which for five years running was the #1 selling elementary science curriculum in America. He is also the editor of the popular book Family Science, is working on a new publication titled Family Engineering, and is frequently invited to speak at conferences and public events on science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and the rewards of experiential learning. Prior to establishing DHA, David was affiliated with the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI) for 13 years, serving as associate director from 1988–1996. While at OMSI, David initiated and administered many of the museum’s nationally recognized education and outreach programs, and also developed hands-on exhibits for national tour. David has also taught science and enrichment programs in grades 7-12, conducted research in plant biochemistry and radiochemistry, and worked for five years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A native Oregonian, he is active in numerous scientific and educational organizations nationwide, is the past Director of Informal Science Education for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), served on the Board of Directors of the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS), the Keystone Center, and currently serves as the Senior Science Advisor for the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and on the Board of Directors for the Aspen Science Center. In 2009 David received NSTA’s award for Distinguished Service to Science Education.
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Gail P. Baxter, Ph.D., Senior Associate, leads DHA’s research and evaluation team, which focuses on customer-based research; front end, formative and summative evaluation; and market research. Prior to joining DHA, Gail served as a Senior Survey Researcher on more than a dozen national evaluation studies conducted by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., including a Kauffman Campuses Entrepreneurship Initiative and a National Charter Schools study. She also directed data collection from 300 colleges for an NSF study and the surveying of 7,000 middle school students participating in the Roads to Success career development study. Prior to joining Mathematica, Dr. Baxter was a senior research scientist at Educational Testing Service and an assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of Michigan. She has extensive experience conducting research on science teaching and learning, has published widely on the generalizability and validity of assessments, and designed cognitive interviews and instruments for measuring student achievement. She has served on two National Research Council committees: The Evaluation of National and State Assessments of Educational Progress, and Knowing What Students Know: The Science and Design of Educational Assessments. Dr. Baxter holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a BA in Psychology from Queen’s University.
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Mia Jackson, Staff Associate, specializes in program and exhibit development, project management, and evaluation with an emphasis on public outreach. At DHA, Mia has also focused on the development of young learner resources such as curriculum kits and exhibit areas, for clients including Bristol Myers Squibb and the Anchorage Museum. Prior to joining DHA, Mia worked for a range of non-profit organizations including the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Partners In Public Education, the Alaska Bar Association, and the Alaska Dance Theatre where she taught ballet. Most recently she served as Director of Programs and Exhibits at the Imaginarium, in Anchorage, Alaska, where she spearheaded significant growth and expansion of their offerings, including the launch of their nationally recognized statewide outreach efforts in science and public health. Trained in Elementary Education, Mia has been active in a variety of local, state and national educational initiatives, including serving as Affiliate Director of the Alaska Space Grant program, Chair of the National Educational Outreach Network (NEON), and an active member of the Informal Science Committee of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).
Sally Greer, Staff Associate, has extensive experience in K-8 education and specializes in program development, management and delivery. Her special interests include health and fitness, meteorology, marine science and outdoor recreation and education. Prior to joining DHA she held a range of public K-8 education positions from classroom teacher, to curriculum coordinator, to Science Department Chair, as well as serving as a rafting guide in Colorado and Washington State. Sally has managed and facilitated numerous school-wide science fairs, extended outdoor education experiences, hosted Family Science and Family Math events, supervised student research and submissions as well as staffed local, regional, and national competitions. She has also presented professional development workshops and graduate-level methods courses for elementary teachers, and has served on multiple advisory panels for curriculum projects funded by the National Institutes of Health.
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Chris Wallace, Staff Associate, has an extensive background in nonprofit management, marketing and communication, which she brings to her work at DHA in facilitation, business planning and project coordination. Prior to joining the DHA team, Chris worked with founders to launch a new science museum, ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum in Ashland, Oregon, and she served as its first executive director for five years. In that capacity she developed a strong community-based organization with a national reputation among small science centers. As a result of her focus to bring a stronger environmental and natural history programs to the museum, Chris served on the Advisory Board for the Southern Oregon University Masters in Environmental Education Program and was nominated as Chair of the Regional Environmental Education Leaders (REEL), a collaborative working group which she co-founded. Prior to her work in Ashland, she served as marketing director for the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and as marketing associate for the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Chris has worked as a consultant for a variety of nonprofit organizations, providing support in management, marketing and fund development. She holds an MA in Speech Communication from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and a BA from the University of Denver. She has taught university courses in public speaking, group dynamics and intercultural communication.
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Gina Magharious, Project Coordinator, specializes in research and evaluation at DHA. Employing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, Gina’s evaluation and market research studies serve a range of academic institutions, government agencies, corporations and non-profit clients. Prior to joining DHA, Gina’s work focused on a variety of health and education related studies on behalf of diverse clients such as Portland Parks and Recreation, the Oregon Health Plan, and Girls, Inc. Gina holds an MS in Social Psychology from PSU and a BS in Psychology from the University of Georgia. She has designed and taught courses at PSU on human sexuality, tutored autistic children, worked as a patient advocate and educator at Planned Parenthood, and currently serves on the Membership Services Committee for the Oregon Program Evaluator’s Network (OPEN).
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Lauren Seyda, Project Coordinator, assists DHA with various projects, primarily focusing on environmental science, curriculum development, organizational planning, document layout and design. Prior to joining DHA she worked in the Education and Outreach Program at WDFW, where she assisted with Salmon in the Classroom, WildWatch Cams, kid’s fishing pond events, and represented WDFW at numerous fairs and exhibits. Lauren has worked for several governmental agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management in California, Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Her diverse environmental experience includes geography, botany, horticulture, fish and wildlife biology, environmental education and public outreach. Lauren holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and Environmental Resource Management from Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University.
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Kristina Peltier, Office Manager and Executive Assistant, manages the DHA office, supervising support staff and coordinating business development and marketing for the firm. She also serves as Assistant to the President of DHA, supporting the research, development and implementation of a broad range of programs, products and client services, including large scale events and publications. Prior to joining DHA she served in a variety of office management, marketing and event planning positions. Kristina holds a BA in Computer Arts from the Academy of Arts University in San Francisco and a BFA from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
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Eric Wallinger, Project Assistant, supports a variety of DHA initiatives and is a key member of the U.S. Army-sponsored eCYBERMISSION program planning team. With a background in event production, communications, data management, and publishing, he facilitates DHA program administration and logistics. Prior to joining the firm, Eric served as Operations Coordinator at the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California. Eric holds a BA in English and a certificate in Environmental Studies from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
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Aidan Ross, Project Assistant, supports a range of DHA projects. With a background in data management, technology support, and customer service, Aidan focuses on coordinating long and short term data collection efforts across a variety of DHA initiatives and research oriented projects. Prior to joining DHA, Aidan has worked for Accenture, Executive Leadership Group, and the YMCA of Washington D.C.
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Colleen Sill, Administrative Assistant, supports the DHA team from the front desk. In addition to serving as the voice of the firm for clients who call the office, Colleen is focused on travel coordination, office wide organizational systems, and administrative project support. Colleen is a native of the Pacific Northwest and enjoys spending time with her family.
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